Uganda security forces rescue US tourist kidnapped by gunmen during safari

American tourist Kimberly Sue Endicott of California and her guide were rescued unharmed on Sunday following their capture by gunmen during an evening safari last week.

"Police & its sister security agencies have today rescued Ms. Kimberley Sue, an American tourist together with her guide who were kidnapped while on an evening game drive at Queen Elizabeth National Park. The duo are in good health & in the safe hands of the joint security team," the Uganda Police Force tweeted Sunday afternoon. Queen Elizabeth National Park is located near the border with Congo. The two were taken by four men who used Endicott's phone to demand a $500,000 ransom, Ugandan police said. Four others in 56-year-old Endicott's party were left unharmed and abandoned by the kidnappers, and were subsequently rescued by park officials. The guide was identified as Jean Paul, an Ugandan. ABC News reported a ransom was paid, but it was unclear how much was given. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week the U.S. government does not pay ransoms because that would encourage further kidnappings. Queen Elizabeth Park is a popular safari destination for tourists in Africa, but its western side borders the Democratic Republic of Congo, the eastern part of which is home to several militia groups. Still, the Uganda Police Force said the kidnapping was "the first such incident of this kind."

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/uganda-security-forces-rescue-us-tourist-kidnapped-by-gunmen-during-safari

Pakistan says it has intelligence of new Indian attack this month

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan has “reliable intelligence” that India will attack again this month, its foreign minister said, drawing condemnation from New Delhi which described the claim as irresponsible.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s comments came after tensions over a February standoff between the arch enemies had appeared to ease. He said on Sunday that an attack could take place between April 16 and 20, adding that Pakistan had told the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council of its concerns.

“India rejects the irresponsible and preposterous statement by the foreign minister of Pakistan with a clear objective of whipping up war hysteria in the region,” a spokesman for India’s foreign office said in a statement. “This public gimmick appears to be a call to Pakistan-based terrorists to undertake a terror attack in India.” The foreign office said India reserved the right to respond firmly and decisively to any cross border militant attack, accusing Pakistan of being complicit in such attacks on India.

A suicide car bombing by Pakistan-based militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police on Feb. 14. The risk of conflict rose dramatically on Feb. 27, when India launched an air strike on what it said was a militant training base inside Pakistan. The following day Pakistan shot down an Indian fighter jet and captured its pilot who was later released.

Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner to protest against any “misadventure”, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said in a tweet.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-kashmir-pakistan/pakistan-says-it-has-intelligence-of-new-indian-attack-this-month-idUSKCN1RJ05G

UN expert to visit Assange, assess violation of privacy claims

Geneva (AFP) - An independent rights expert will visit WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadoran embassy in London to assess whether privacy violation claims involving him merit investigation, the UN rights office said Thursday. "The Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, Joe Cannataci, plans to meet WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on 25 April," the UN office said in a statement.

The meeting will take place at the Ecuadoran embassy in London, where Assange has been living for more than six years, and would be facilitated by the Ecuadoran government, it said. The announcement came after Quito filed a formal complaint to Cannataci accusing WikiLeaks of spreading private information linked to President Lenin Moreno. Photos, videos and private conversations appeared on portals such as Twitter and Facebook. Moreno was also forced to deny allegations of corruption which surfaced on the website inapapers.org, with the president claiming he knew who was responsible for the accusations. An informed source said the special rapporteur would also investigate allegations made by Assange that his privacy had been violated during his time holed up in the embassy.

"The UN expert said the meeting would help determine if there exists a prima facie case of violation of privacy that warrants further investigation," the UN statement said. In an interview broadcast by several Ecuadoran radio stations this week, Moreno said: "Assange has too often repeatedly violated the agreement we have with him and his legal team," without saying whether Ecuador would withdraw asylum.

https://news.yahoo.com/un-expert-visit-assange-assess-violation-privacy-claims-172848295.html